This invention relates generally to the sewing art, are particularly to a tool for reaching into the confined places in cloth dolls which is able to grasp the doll fabric for turning the doll inside out and which also is able to grasp filler material for placement into these confined areas.
In the practice of making cloth dolls, and similar items, the doll is first sewn together with what is to be the outer surface on the inside. After the pieces of the doll are sewn together, the doll is turned inside out, or reversed, and stuffed with filling material through an opening left in the seam. After stuffing is completed the opening is sewn together to finish the doll.
Two difficult steps are encountered in making these dolls. First, there are problems turning the narrow areas of the doll, such as the appendages, inside out because of the difficulty in reaching into these confined spaces. Second, after the doll is reversed, so that the finished surface is on the outside, it is difficult to stuff these confined areas with filling material to produce a finished doll which is both evenly and adequately stuffed.
Heretofore the reversing of the confined sections and their filling has been performed by hand-pushing the doll material right side out by uing a dowel or pencil or screwdriver. Stuffing the doll a little bit at a time and pushing the stuffing down with a dowel. The use of rod-like objects to poke and prod stuffing into these sections has also caused problems by producing a finished doll which is not evenly filled and has, therefore, a lumpy and uneven feel and appearance.
An additional problem encountered in using rod like devices in making cloth dolls is that these implements have sharp ends or edges which easily tear the doll fabric when reversing or stuffing the doll.